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‘LOTR’ director sends personal jet to assist in missing plane search

PETER JACKSON'S JET: The "Lord of the Rings" filmmaker has chartered his Gulfstream G650 to the oceans off the coast of Australia to assist in the search for the plane, which disappeared last month with 239 people on board. Photo: Associated Press/Matt Sayles

Director Peter Jackson has given search teams hoping to recover the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 a boost by lending them his private jet.

The “Lord of the Rings” filmmaker has chartered his Gulfstream G650 to the oceans off the coast of Australia to assist in the search for the plane, which disappeared last month with 239 people on board.

His spokesman Matt Dravitzki tells The New Zealand Herald, “Peter would not seek publicity for something like this and would actively avoid it in fact. A lot of civilian and military aircraft are involved in the search and it’s kind of disappointing that because one is owned by a celebrity it becomes a matter of news when there are (over) 200 people missing.”

Jackson purchased the jet for $80 million last year, according to The Hollywood Reporter.